Cases in the Brockton area that have involved Voodoo

Wednesday

The spiritual worship of Voodoo has been part of at least five criminal cases in the the Brockton area the past few years -- from Voodoo scare tactics, spells to even murder.

But experts say this is not what Voodoo ritual's are supposed to entail.

"A normal protective ritual might involve paying, always first to God to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and to perform Catholic prayers,"Elizabeth McAlister, a professor at Wesleyan University, whose expertise is in Afro-Caribbean religions including Haitian Voodoo said. "It might involve performing an herbal bath, healing prayers and lighting a candle while doing prayers. It might involve the use of incense to cleanse the space or to calm the person."

While experts say Haitian Voodoo is not violent, suspects and victims have attributed Voodoo being used in multiple criminal cases. Here are the past five crimes, in the area, where Voodoo was mentioned.

Brockton mother stabs two young sons to death

Latarsha Letrice Sanders, 43, was arrested Monday, Jan. 5, after stabbing her two young sons -- 8-year-old Edson "Marlon" Brito and 5-year-old Lason Brito -- to death as part of "Voodoo ritual," court documents state.

The two sons were discovered dead inside their home on Prospect Street in Brockton. Edson was stabbed approximately 50 times, police said.

When asked why she stabbed the boys, Sanders told police "it was because of the voodoo stuff" according to court documents. She said she stabbed him because she had 'failed' in the ritual with Marlon," and for that reason she moved onto Lason, according to court documents.

Family members told police that Sanders was "in to voodoo" and obsessed with the "Illuminati," rituals and sacrifices, court documents state.

East Bridgewater woman permanently disfigure girl in cleansing bath, as part of Voodoo ritual

Peggy LaBossiere, 51, and Rachel Hilaire, 40, were arrested Jan. 26, 2018, for mayhem (the permanent disfigurement of a child’s face), assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a child with injury, indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 and threatening to commit a crime (murder).

Two children -- a 5-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother-- had been staying with LaBossiere and Hilaire in East Bridgewater. Officers were called to perform a health and welfare check on the kids when they found the girl with a large third-degree burn on her face, police said.

The girl’s mother, who has not been charged in the case, told police that she thought the child had an evil spirit inside her and that LaBossiere and Hilaire used a voodoo ritual to help get rid of it.

The girl told police that she had been tied down as LaBossiere kissed her face “like a snake,” cut her arm and collar area and blew fire in her face, according to police reports.

Water and oils were put on the girl, including on her eyes. Police said the chemicals the women used on the girl’s face burned her so badly that the burns will probably not heal.

Hilaire and LaBossiere also threatened the girl’s 8-year-old brother by saying they would cut his head off and rubbed the boy, including his genitals, with a plant like substance, according to police.

The women’s dangerousness/detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday Feb. 7 at the Brockton District Court.

Voodoo scare tactics used on Brockton woman before she was murdered

In 2014 Florence Beaulieu, a mother of four, was found dead in her Forest Avenue apartment. Her estranged husband, Jean-Michel Beaulieu, was arrested for murder, police said.

Manouchka Casimir, a friend of Florence’s, said Jean-Michel had used Voodoo as a scare tactic against Florence-- placing Voodoo candles on her doorstep, putting a crucifix and white powder in her home, according to a police report.

“In our culture (Haitian culture) the candles are used to summon whatever evil spirit you want to summon,” Casimir said in a previous Enterprise article. “The powder is like a spiritual poison. If you step in it, if you walk over it, if you touch it, it’s supposed to hurt you or someone in your family or kill you.”

Sylvia Saint Louis, Florence’s mother, also said that Jean-Michel has put voodoo curses on her.

Beaulieu is scheduled for a final pretrial, at Brockton Superior Court, on April 9, 2018, according to the clerk's office.

Brockton teen pulls trigger after neighbor casts Voodoo spell

In 2013, a 16-year-old male, went to confront his neighbor he who believed put a “Voodoo spell on him” police said.

The teen knocked on the door, on Tremont Street in Brockton. The teen was wearing a mask, holding a knife and what looked like a semi-automatic pistol, police said.

When the neighbor answered the door the teen pulled the trigger of the gun twice, but it did not fire, police said.

Police arrested the juvenile, who’s name was not released, for two counts of assault to murder and two counts of assault in a dwelling.

Woman waves machete while chanting “I do Voodoo”.

In Middleboro, in 2013, Myrna Antoine, 41, waved a metal skull and swung a machete at police while yelling, “I do Voodoo. I am from Haiti.”

Police had gone into the home, 352 Wareham St., to serve a warrant to two arson suspects.

Antoine, who was at the home, was intoxicated and waved a red scarf as she chanted, “I do Voodoo,” police said.

Antoine then threw an ornamental skull at police while swinging, police said.

She was arrested for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, police said.

The case was continued without a finding, the Wareham District Court clerk's office said.

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